As accessible as it is personal.

The world’s most personal device was designed for every person. So a person who’s blind can take group selfies. A person who’s deaf can call Mum from overseas. And a person who can’t move from the neck down can send text messages to friends.

Switch Control

Switch Control on iPhone

Built directly into iOS, Switch Control is a powerful accessibility technology for anyone with extensive physical motor limitations. Switch Control allows you to navigate sequentially through onscreen items and perform specific actions using a variety of Bluetooth-enabled switch hardware. It also has features like expanded word prediction and a media playback menu that make it easier to use. And Switch Control is customisable for both beginners and advanced users — you can simplify existing actions or create your own.

Platform Switching for Switch Control

Switch Control now supports Platform Switching, which allows you to use a single device to operate any other devices you have synced with your iCloud account. So you can control your Mac directly from your iPhone or iPad, without having to set up your switches on each new device.1

Switch Control on iPhone

UpdatedSiri

Siri on iPhone

Siri helps you with the things you do every day.² All you have to do is ask. Say something like “Tell Lucy I’m running late” or “Remind me to make a booking for Saturday”. And now with Siri Shortcuts, you can initiate customised, multi-action commands by voicing a preferred phrase. If you’re leaving work, you could say “Heading Home” to simultaneously alert a family member, get directions in Maps and start a playlist. Siri is also integrated with Switch Control, so you can use it even when “Hey Siri” isn’t active.

Dictation

Dictation lets you talk wherever you would type. Tap the microphone button on the keyboard, say what you want to write, then your iPhone converts your words (and numbers and characters) into text. So it’s easy to type an email, note or URL — without typing at all.

Siri on iPhone

AssistiveTouch

AssistiveTouch on iPhone

iPhone is remarkably intuitive and easy to use. AssistiveTouch lets you adapt the Multi-Touch screen to your physical needs. So if you need to change some gestures, like pinch, you can make them accessible with just a tap of a finger. You can create your own gestures and even customise the layout of the AssistiveTouch menu. And if you want an alternative to pressing the Home button, you can activate it with an onscreen tap. Gestures like rotate and shake are available even when your iPhone is mounted on a wheelchair. And iOS devices support a number of third-party assistive devices that help you interact with your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Touch Accommodations

With Touch Accommodations, you can adjust how the screen responds to your touch. Control how long you touch before it’s recognised or whether repeat touches are ignored. So you can put your finger down anywhere on the screen and move to the item you want without mistakenly performing an action.

AssistiveTouch on iPhone

Keyboard Shortcuts

If there’s a word or phrase you frequently use, create a customised shortcut — and iOS will type it out for you. For example, “appt” can expand to “appointment” or “cyl” to “Call you later”. Keyboard shortcuts make it easier and faster to type your name, email address, home address or any other text that you often type.

Predictive Text

Tap to choose the perfect suggestion for your next word — Predictive Text adjusts results based on who you’re talking to and what you’ve said before.3

Hardware Keyboard Support

When using a physical keyboard, you can turn on Sticky Keys to combine your keystrokes, allowing you to press one key at a time instead of pressing them together. Or use Slow Keys to adjust the amount of time between when a key is pressed and when it is activated — so your iPhone processes only the keystrokes you mean to make.

Support for Third‑Party Keyboards

Swipe rather than type, or go old-school with the classic keyboard layout. Developers can format keyboards for use within their own apps. And now that new keyboards are available, you can choose your favourite input method or layout system-wide.